My first impression was that there’s now way too much dry grass, brown earth, and tree stumps along the Batteries to Bluffs Trail after its several-week renovation. It looks so bare right now in some places. But we’ll see how it looks once rainy season has arrived and when the native plants they’re planning have taken hold.

A large number of trees have been removed from alongside the trail and on the hillsides above (see first two pix -- east and west sides respectively). Excellent view from above on Lincoln. They’ve cleared the trail of encroaching plants along the route, which was expected.

The alternate trail down from Lincoln I sometimes take was still closed off. Since my last visit west trailhead Battery Crosby’s walls have received some brightly colored graffiti.

Though adding some stair rails had been mentioned, none were in evidence today. Not that I care. I’d just as soon see it left the way it is so as not to disturb the lizards and other wildlife down here more than has been already.

Got a count of 482 steps this time but not sure just where these few extra steps have been added. My highest previous count was about 478. Will do recounts. Surprised that the footbridge steps on the west side didn’t get repaired during the trail’s renovation; there may still be plans to do so. As of this writing it still looks this way: see third photo.

Did the Marshall’s Beach Trail down and back up as well and still got around 48 steps as previously. It didn’t look like any changes had been made around there. But one of the most dramatic changes is where the main trail meets the Marshall’s Beach Trail -- a lot of tree removal around here. One can now see the little creek really well.